am Yudris, Young Lord. I am your loyal maid," she said, bowing her head in a graceful, disciplined motion.
"Why are you calling me that? What do you mean, my maid?" Leon asked, still petrified by her sudden appearance. In response, she reached back and tapped the door. A faint shimmer rippled across the wood, magically sealing the room so that no sound could escape.
"You are my master, Young Lord. I am bound to serve you," she responded with a calm that felt both comforting and eerie.
"But... why?" Leon's voice shook.
"I am not permitted to say. But do not be afraid; none can harm you as long as I live," she replied, maintaining her perfect composure. Leon sat up, clutching his blanket as he tried to steady his breathing.
"If you are meant to serve me, then what am I?" he asked, staring down at his hands, which the machines had labeled as powerless.
"I am not allowed to say, Young Lord," she whispered softly.
"What the hell is going on!" Leon cried out, his mind spinning in total disbelief.
Leon woke the next morning to the gentle humming of birds outside. He scanned the room quickly, but he was alone. The mysterious woman was nowhere to be seen.
"Was it just a dream?" he muttered, trying to make sense of the night's strange events. He crawled out of bed and headed for the door, convinced his mind had played tricks on him. "It had to be. What did she say her name was? Oh, right... Yudris."
"Yes, Young Lord?"
The voice came from directly behind him. Startled, Leon lost his footing and tumbled to the floor. He scrambled to turn around, his heart racing.
"You... you're not a dream?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"No, Young Lord," she answered with a small, knowing smile. "I am very real."
Leon stood up, forcing himself to be calm. He walked toward her and reached out, his small fingers grasping her hand.
"You're real," he whispered, feeling the warmth of her skin. "But... you weren't here when I woke up."
"I was here, Young Lord," Yudris responded. "I am only visible when you desire me to be, or when you call out to me."
"Does that mean no one else can see you?" he asked curiously.
"Both, Young Lord. As of now, only you can see me at all times. However, if you wish it, I can reveal myself to others."
"Interesting, but—" Leon's words were cut short by a firm knock on the door.
"Master Leon, it is time for your bath," a maid's voice called from the hallway.
"You need to hide!" Leon whispered urgently to Yudris.
"There is no need, Young Lord. Only you can see and hear me," she replied, standing perfectly still.
Leon tentatively opened the door. A young maid walked in with a warm smile, looking right through the space where Yudris stood. She picked Leon up, completely unaware of the second woman in the room. "It is time, Master Leon. Your father has requested your presence."
After he was bathed and dressed, Leon was led to the garden. His father, Lord Dris, stood among the flowers, his back turned.
"Father, you called for me?" Leon said, his gaze tilted toward the ground.
"How are you feeling?" Lord Dris asked, his voice unusually calm.
"I... I'm fine, Father," Leon replied, though his tone remained heavy with sadness.
Lord Dris turned to face him. "About yesterday... I understand that your starting stats are not yours to decide. You cannot choose the strength you were born with. I was harsh, and for that, I am sorry. Forgive me."
Leon looked up, surprised, but his father's expression quickly hardened.
"However," Dris continued, "I do not intend to raise a weak child. I will employ multiple tutors for you. You will dedicate all your time and effort to becoming stronger before it is time to enroll in the Academy. You have seven years until then. Do not disappoint me, Leon."
"Yes, Father. I promise to make you proud—I will give it my all," Leon replied, a determined smile finally breaking through his sadness.
"That's good," Lord Dris said. "Now, go and rest. Your training begins in two days. Take all the rest you can now, because once we start, you will not get any more."
"Yes, Father," Leon said, bowing before hurrying back toward the manor. On his way, he passed the training fields where his older sister, Claire, was practicing. She was surrounded by two tutors, her movements sharp and focused. Leon watched in awe as she manipulated the world around her—effortlessly snapping trees, twisting metal, and flash-boiling ice into steam. Her control was terrifyingly perfect.
Leon looked down at his own small, empty hands and shook his head before running the rest of the way to his room.
As soon as he was safely inside, Leon slammed the door and called out, "Yudris!"
"Young Lord, you summoned me?" Yudris appeared instantly, bowing with her usual grace.
"Please... I need answers," Leon muttered, his voice thick with envy and confusion. "Why am I so weak? Why are my stats so different from everyone else's?"
"You are not weak, my Lord," Yudris replied calmly. "The machines of this world are simply incapable of assessing your true power."
"But they showed double zeros! It's literally nothing!" Leon argued, his frustration boiling over.
"No, Young Lord. Those were not zeros. What you saw was a symbol."
Leon blinked, his disbelief growing. "A symbol? Wait... can you actually see my stats? Without a machine?"
"Yes, Young Lord. I can see the stats of everyone in this world."
Leon stared at her, stunned by the sheer impossibility of her claim. "If it's a symbol I've never seen, then what does it mean? Tell me!"
"I am not permitted to explain its full meaning," Yudris said softly. "However, you should know that it is not two zeros. It is a single loop, connecting both ends—like a 'lazy eight' turned on its side."
"A lazy eight? What does that even mean?" Leon climbed onto his bed, his head spinning. "Fine, if you won't tell me that, then tell me this: if I'm not a zero, what is my innate skill?"
Yudris looked at him, her shimmering eyes holding a depth he couldn't fathom. "Your innate skill, my Lord... is whatever you imagine."
"Whatever I imagine?" Leon repeated, a mix of skepticism and wonder in his voice. He stretched his right hand forward, his small fingers trembling as he prepared to test the theory.
"Young Lord, I must inform you," Yudris interrupted, her voice gaining a rare edge of seriousness. "Your powers are vast. You must be extremely careful with what you allow yourself to visualize."
"Really? Then let's go to the open field!" Leon jumped down from his bed, his heart racing with excitement. He hurried out of the manor, Yudris trailing silently behind him like a shadow.
They arrived at the far edge of the estate, well away from the prying eyes of the guards and his father's tutors. Leon took a deep breath, braced his feet against the grass, and extended his hand toward the empty air.
"Imagine, right?" he whispered to himself.
He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on a single image: a small, flickering flame. At first, a tiny spark popped into existence above his palm. But within seconds, the spark began to roar, the heat intensifying at a terrifying rate as the fire expanded.
"Young Lord, you need to stop now!"
Yudris's command cut through his concentration like a blade. Leon snapped his eyes open, and the sight before him left him beyond shocked.